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Execs of 2018: Retail Industry Chiefs Discuss Year’s Most Successful Developments

Execs of 2018: Retail Industry Chiefs Discuss Year’s Most Successful Developments

The most demanding and responsible person in a company must not only oversee every aspect of an enterprise, but must also serve as its vision. The buck truly stops at these head honchos’ desk.

As part of XBIZ’s “Execs of 2018: The Year in Review,” these top decision-makers share their take on the most innovative developments of the year.

Each of the executives we spoke to below is among the finalist nominees for Chief Executive of the Year in the retail edition of the 2019 XBIZ Exec Awards.

What trends, developments and challenges shaped your business this year?

Bonnie Feingold
President and CEO, Honey's Place

“This year, we have noticed some big changes within our industry. Smaller boutique brands are continuing to develop a presence in the adult industry and beyond. They are building a name for their brands based on the quality, price point and packaging. The larger brands and manufacturers are taking steps to change their business model to keep up with the times. With more competition, I see that the seasoned manufacturers are taking the time to understand the marketplace and develop products that are more focused. With this approach, they are limiting the amount of their products’ releases.”

Autumn O'Bryan
COO, Topco Sales

“CyberSkin H20 was the standout for Topco Sales this year. Improving the bestselling, lifelike CyberSkin brand by making it self-lubricating was a no-brainer. We are always looking for ways to improve CyberSkin, and with H20, we hit it out of the park.”

Bob Pyne
President and CEO, Williams Trading Co.

“We have sent our sales staff on the road to visit many accounts, giving the retailers more of the personal touch from their sales person. We have also made a strong effort in strengthening our relationships with our vendors through a strong marketing campaign for 2018. Business is good, and I hope to be able to maintain all of these relationships for years to come.”

Alicia Sinclair
Founder and CEO, COTR

“2018 was a phenomenal year for us to grow through the creation of a strong internal infrastructure. We’ve added talented, passionate people to our team and given them the tools to flourish.”

Tom Stewart
Founder and CEO, Sportsheets International

“We have expanded the offering of vibrators to the line, and our high-quality vibrators have mid-range prices with a five-year warranty that fit logically within the Sincerely, Sportsheets brand. Sportsheets is not currently known as a vibrator company, but by next year, we will be.… This year, we have been preparing for the rebranding of our Sportsheets line, which will be debuting in January. There is a significant change to the packaging, which will feature many of the classics as well as introduce new, exciting and innovative BDSM products to the Sportsheets line.”

Veronique Verreault
Founder, Miss VV's Mystery

“As an official woman of SexTech, I’d say that my top moment of the year was at the SexTech Hackathon in NYC, organized by Future of Sex and YouPorn — where I helped by coaching teams, bringing innovative solutions to our industry. I also had the honor of welcoming Cyndi Darnell as my official sex therapist. Overall, like all of us, I’ve been going through lots of ups and downs, but I keep on striving for my community’s wellness. Cheers, 2018!”

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